Friday, May 29, 2009

A few quick thoughts

Seems like forever since we've seen the Suns. I was thinking I wouldn't be that interested in the playoffs but to my surprise I've enjoyed it. The Bulls/Celtics series was an all-timer. LeBron James' nightly exploits have blown me away. I was listening to the end of Game 2 of the ECF on the radio with a buddy from Ohio when LeBron hit 'the shot.' We were both screaming. I hope they comeback against Orlando and setup up an epic Finals. James is easy to root for because he comes off as genuine, has created a fun atmosphere with his teammates and is so fun to watch. Watching the Lakers and Cavs battle would be nice but the Magic aren't too shabby either. Entertaining basketball is all we can ask for at this point since our beloved team is chilling.

So the lottery came and went. The Kings and Wizards got screwed and it further shows how the lottery works for the good and bad. Have two worse teams ever gotten the 1st and 2nd picks? The Clippers are owned by total jerk and the Grizzlies don't have a fanbase in the city they moved to. Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio have to be hoping for trades. The Suns will get an interesting player at 14. They have two second round picks too but I think they should be active on the trade front. At 14 I think Earl Clark should be the guy. A legit 6-10 basketball player. The kid can do anything and can actually guard people. He's got a Lamar Odom written all over him. It's probably the NJ accent though. A lot of people are saying take a PG but this draft is full of point guards and why waste a pick on a PG if we're committed to Dragic and trying to extend Nash. The thing with Clark is motivation and I think playing on a team with hungry veterans helps guys realize quickly how small the opportunity is to be an elite team. Playing with Nash, Hill and Shaq would help his progress immensely. We'll see though.

A few rumblings in interviews that Amar'e is dropping hints that if the Suns don't want to win, he's outty. Heard similar overtones from Nash that he wants an idea of what the team is doing before he signs an extension to end his career in Phoenix. The Shaq trade rumors have started to bubble up as well. I can't really blame guys for being skeptical of management with how they bungled what was the best young team in the NBA. Doesn't it seem like yesterday that the Suns were the #1 overall seed in the Playoffs and taking on the mighty Spurs. Free agency is a player's leverage and they have to use it. There are plenty of cities to play and earn a fat check but veteran players want a chance to win. When the Suns stopped developing players, they killed their team and now it's a big bag of spare parts. 'Used to be' is the phrase that describes too much of our roster.

Shaq: used to be the most dominant center in the leagueNash: used to be the best point guard in the leagueHill: used to be Grant HillAmar'e: used to the best young big manJ-Rich: used to be the two-time slam dunk champ

Thinking about the guys that 'Used to be' Suns makes it even more depressing. Kerr has recommitted to run n' gun. That's nice. It'll keep fans in the seats and keep the Suns on TV. But we need young studs. We need players to rally around and appreciate as they grow. Draft a stud. Find a way to get Trevor Ariza. Trade Alando Tucker if you're not going to play him. Trade one of our big contract stars and get some flexibility. Do something to make us see this team as something other than a sinking ship with players waiting to dive off in 2010.

5 Comments:

What LeBron did didn't matter to me. He was fined for missing the press conference but all the talk about it to me was pointless. I've seen nearly every big star past and present act like a baby after a tough loss. To me it shows they're human and not immune to the pain of competition.